Carton



Sept. 18, 1962 R. P. NELSON ET AL 3,054,681

CARTON Filed sept. 16, 1957 s sheets-sheet 1 R. P. NELSON x-:T AL 3,054,681

CARTON '5 sheets-sheet 2 Sept. 18, 1962 Filed sept. 16, 1957 Sept. 18, 1962 R. P. NELSON ET AL CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 16, 1957 d @Zaza/weeg( Unite tats 3,054,681 CTGN Richard P. Nelson, 7920 Howard Ave., La Grange, Ill., and Leonard Julson, 1108 Maple Drive, (lak Lawn, Ill. Filed Sept. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 684,105 3 Claims. (Cl. 99-174) This invention relates to a container of improved construction. It relates more particularly to a carton having a slidable base which permits easy access to the contents of the carton. .It is particularly related to an irnproved bacon package though it will be understood that the invention is applicable to products other than bacon.

In the display and sale of bacon it is important that the purchaser be able to see a portion of the p-roduct, particularly to be able to see the relative portions of the lean meat and the fat meat. It is also very desirable for the user to be able to Withdraw one slice or more at a time without disturbing the remaining slices. It has long been a problem in the packaging of bacon to arrange bacon slices so that they will be visible for inspection without opening the package, while at the same time providing a relatively strong package which may be handled readily by the purchaser, which may be opened and a portion of the product withdrawn and the package reclosed.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a container which may be conveniently loaded. It is also an object to provide la container from which a portion of the product may be easily removed Without disturbing the remaining product. It is also an object to provide a package wherein bacon or the like may be exposed to view within the package while at the same time completely enclosing it and protecting it against contamination during storage and display and eventually while it is being used. It is a particular object of the invention to provide a method of packaging bacon in edge-overlapping relationship wherein the bacon package is maintained relatively intact during the removal of successive portions of the product over a period of time. It is also a particular object to provide a package wherein bacon slices are placed upon -a baseboard which may be partially withdrawn 4from the package and replaced within the package with a drawer-like motion. It is a further object to provide a package which is of simple construction and which may he used with a minimum cost with regard to labor and materials. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specication proceeds.

'llhe features of this invention may be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the carton.

FIG. Z is a perspective view of a preferred form of the carton showing the opening of the transparent overwrap b-y means of a knife.

`FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the carton having the base section, with bacon strips or the like thereon, partially removed from the cover section so as to facilitate the removal of material from the carton.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along view line 4 4 of FIG. 1 showing the carton containing slices of bacon or the like in edge-overlapping relationship.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank of the cover section showing the fold lines and perforated lines.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a blank of the base section of the carton showing the fold lines and the general conformation of the base section.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a modified cover section which may be used in the carton of this invention and in which the reference numerals correspond to those used in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another modified cover section which may be used in the carton of this invention and in which the reference numerals correspond to those used in drawing of other modifications of the cover section.

The container may be made from sheets of cardboard or similar material. In a bacon carton we prefer to use cold-waxed, white-lined, manila-center, solid sulfite paper. It is possible in thi-s particular carton to use a lighter paper for the one section than for the other, depending upon the use and manner of handling of the carton. In the packaging of bacon we prefer to use a heavier board or paper for the baseboard than for the cover section.

lReferring to the drawings, the three piece carton shown in FIG. 1 in perspective may be produced from a transparent film and blanks such as are shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The carton is surrounded by a transparent film 4i) 'as is shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 4 and in the perspective view of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. A blank of the base section, as shown in FIG. 6, comprises a center section or baseboard 10 having edge-covers or side flaps 11 and 12 foldably connected thereto along the fold lines 13 and 14 respectively. In the simplest form of the invention the base section may be a simple card similar to the central section 10 of =FIG. 6, i.e., the blank shown in FIG. 6 without the side rflaps 11 and 12. It should be pointed out that the fold lines, wherever that term is used, may be made either by scoring or by perforating the material. A perfo-rated line is generally used wherever it is desired that the fold be very easily made. A greater effort is genenally required to fold the material along a lgrooved or scored line than along a perforated line. In using the `carton the sections 11 and 12 are bent upwards and inwards over those portions of the packaged material lying nearest the edge or fold lines of the baseboard.

In FIG. 5, a plan view of a preferred form' of the cover Section of the container, a cover section 15 which is su'bstantially equal to or slightly larger than the baseboard section 10 of ythe base section. In the packaging of materials -in which it is desired to display the materials within the package, the cover or center section 15 may be provided with an aperture or window 16. This particular form of cover is generally desinable in the packaging of bacon and similar food materials. The blank of FIG. 5 is provided o-n either side with score lines 17 and 18, and

slightly removed and parallel to these lines are perforated y lines 19 and 20. That section of the blank outside of lines 19 and 20 comprises supporting flaps 21 and 22. The area between the scored lines 17 and 18 and the perforated lines 19 and Z0 comprises guide or channel sections 23 and 24. A perforated l-ine 25 is provided parallel to and near the edge 26 of the carton. The perforatedv line 25 extends from fold line 17 to fold line 18, entirely across the top of the cov'er section 15 thereby' forming an end flap 27. The fold lines 17 and 18 are perforated in those portions between the perforated line 25 and the edge 26 of the carton. At the same end of the cover section there is provided a score line 30 running from the intersection of fold line 17 and edge 26 toward the center of the carton. At the opposite side of the carton beginning at the intersection of line 18 and edge 26 another diagonal line 31 runs toward the center of the carton. Each of the lines 30 and 31 terminates at line 32 which lies parallel to perforated line 25 between the ends of lines 30 and 31. Lines 30, 31 and 32 taken with edge 26 form a trapezoidahshaped area on the cover 15. In other modifications of the carton, lines analogous to lines 30, 31 and 32 may be provided at the opposite end of the carton as shownin FIG. 7. These Series of lines proi vide for a high arch in the cover to accommodate a mound of merchandise piled upon baseboard 10. In the assembly of the carton the side sections 11 and 12 of the ibase sect-ion are folded upwards and inwards over the material lying upon baseboard 10. Sections 21 and 22 of the cover section are then folded downwards and placed about or around the sections 11 and 12, respectively, of the bottom section. Inasmuch as lines 19 and 20' are perforated they are easily broken and form la groove in which the baseboard 10 may be placed. It is relatively immaterial whether or not lines 17 and -18 are broken or bent in the packaging operation. It is desirable that they be broken or bent only to provide for the easy passage of the base section when it is slidably moved from end to end.

In the actual use of `the oar-ton in packaging operations merchandise is rst placed upon baseboard 10, bacon 42 generally being positioned in edge-overlapping relationship as shown in FIG. 4. The sections 11 and 12 are then bent upwards and inwards over the bacon, and the cover Section is then placed over the base section so that the sections 21 and 22 go around and beneath the base section to support it. At -this stage of the assembly the base section is slidable from end to end beneath the cover section as is illustrated in FIG, 3. These two sections with the enclosed bacon are then passed through an over- Wnap machine or otherwise are wrapped with a transparent lilm material 40 by any convenient means.

In opening the package a knife may be inserted through the transparent hlm 40 along an end as at edge 26 of the cover as shown in FIG. 2 and the transparent material 40 slit along the entire side of lthe package. The user then grasps the section 27 (or corresponding sections v127 and 227 in other embodiments) formed by the end por- `tions of lines 17 `and 18 and by the perforated line 25 and lifts that section 27 as shown in FIG. 3 to expose a portion of -the bacon and the baseboard beneath. The oper- Iator or user then grasps that portion of the baseboard and simply withdraws it `from the carton, thus exposing the bacon upon the lbaseboard 10'. Individual slices of bacon 42 or similar material may then be grasped and removed from the baseboard and the remaining material upon the baseboard then reinserted into the package. To facilitate reinsertion of the baseboard within the cover, it is desirable that the corners of the base Section side llaps 11 and 12 be rounded.

Various modifications of the invention are of course possible and of these the modifications illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 have been found to be useful in the packaging of bacon and similar materials. In FIG. 7, which shows a cover section substantially similar to that of FIG. 5, the reference numerals correspond to those used in FIG. 5 to designate similar structures. This particular embodiment of the cover section dilers from that of FIG. 5 in that the lines 30, 31 and 32 and lthe perforated line 25 are duplicated on each end of the carton, thereby forming two trapezoidal areas to accommodate the arching from the package. It is apparent that the container employing this modified cover section may be opened with equal facility from either end. The cover section illustrated in FIG. 7 `also differs from that of FIG. 5 in that there is provided on either end of the carton a flap 43 which is adapted to fold downwards from edge 26 along a perforated or scored line and thereby to cover a portion of the end ofthe package to block the ends of the contained bacon 42, or similar materials, from View.

In the cover section of FIG. 8 the structure is considerably simplified in 'that there is provided only a single perforated line =19 and the corresponding line V2l)v on either side of the carton, thereby forming the ap area 221 and 222. In this modification there is no channel or guide section 24 such as is formed in that embodiment described in FIG. 5. The structure also diiers in 31 and 32 of the other described embodiments.

Although reference has been made to a particular use for this invention, that of packaging sliced bacon, it will be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to such specific use nor to Vthe exact details of construction which have been described herein, since many modincations, all within the scope of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A carton comprising a base section, a cover section and a flexible overwrap enclosing said base section and said cover section in the assembled carton, said base section being formed from a blank having two side flaps foldably connected to a baseboard which is adapted to receive merchandise thereon, said side ilaps being adapted to fold upwards and inwards over those portions of the merchandise lying nearest the edge of said baseboard, said cover section being formed from a blank having a central section which lies over the merchandise to -be packaged and is of substantially the same size and shape as said baseboard, said cover section also having a narrow channel section foldably connected to the opposite sides of said central section and having side aps foldably connected to said channel section, said central section having a perforated line near one end running from side to side from the fold line between each of said channel sections and said central section, said fold line being perforated in that section lying between said perforated line and the nearest edge of said cover section, said central section also having a score line running from the edge of said section at the fold line diagonally toward the center of said central section to a point between said perforated line and the center of said central section, thence parallel to said perforated line toward the opposite fold line to meet another diagonal score line running from the corresponding edge of said central section diagonally across the fold line toward the center of said central section.

2. A carton suitable for packaging bacon strips in edgeoverlapping relationship comprising a rectangular baseboard having bacon strips positioned thereon in in edgeoverlapping relationship; an edge-cover foldably connected to said rectangular baseboard along a Ifold line at each side of said rectangular baseboard, said edge-cover in the assembled carton being folded upwards `and inwards over the edge of said baseboard along the fold line; a rectangular cover of substantially the same size and shape as said rectangular baseboard, said cover having a window therein whereby the packaged bacon strips are visible while in the carton; a baseboard channel section foldably connected to each side of said cover; a baseboard supporting member -foldably connected to each of said channel members, said baseboard channel members being formed from the same blank as said cover and said baseboard supporting member by the provision of closely proximate parallel fold lines at the side of said cover section by folding said baseboard supporting member back under said cover along at least one of said parallel fold lines whereby a groove through which said baseboard may slide is provided between said cover and said baseboard supporting member and inside said channel member, said cover having score lines forming a trapezoidal area with the edge of said cover whereby arching of the cover section is facilitated; and a exible -ilm enclosing said base-board and said cover in their assembled relationship.

3. A carton according to claim 2 wherein said cover is provided with a perforated line near one end running from side to side between the fold lines along which said baseboard supporting members are foldably connected to said cover, said perforated line when taken with the edge and fold lines defining a rectangular area which may be easily folded upward to facilitate grasping said baseboard.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,317,040

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,198,792 Tracy sept. 19, 1916 1,245,610 OBrien Nov. 6, 1917 2,033,550 Rosen Mar. 10, 1936 62 182 2,169,572 Tanzi Aug. 15, 1939 6 Ethridge Apr. 20, 1943 Vander Lugt July 24, 1956 Zinser Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Norway Mar. 11, 1940 

1. A CARTON COMPRISING A BASE SECTION, A COVER SECTION AND A FLEXIBLE OVERWRAP ENCLOSING SAID BASE SECTION AND SAID COVER SECTION IN THE ASSEMBLED CARTON, SAID BASE SECTION BEING FORMED FROM A BLANK HAVING TWO SIDE FLAPS FILDABLY CONNECTED TO A BASEDBOARD WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE MERCHANDIS THEREON, SAID SIDE FLAPS BEING ADAPTED TO FOLD UPWARDS OVER THOSE PROTIONS OF THE MERCHANDISE LYING NEAREST THE EDGE OF SAID BASEBOARD, SAID COVER SECTION BEING FORMED FROM A BLANK HAVING A CENTRAL SECTION WHICH LIES OVER MERCHANDISE TO BE PACKAGED AND IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AS SAID BASEBOARD, SIDE COVER SECTION ASLO HAVING A NARROW CHANNEL SECTION FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CENTRAL SECTION AND HAVING SIDE FLAPS FOLDABLE CONNECTED TO SAID CHANNEL SECTION, SAID CENTRAL SECTION HAVING A PERFORATED LINE NEAR ONE END RUNNING FROM SIDE TO SIDE FROM THE FOLD LINE BETWEEN EACH OF SIDE CHANNEL SECTION AND CENTRAL SECTION, AND FOLD LINE BEING PERFORATED INTO SECTION LYING BETWEEN SAID PERFORATED LINE AND THE NEAREST EDGE OF SAID COVER SECTION, SAID CENTRAL SECTION ALSO HAVING A SCORE LINE RUNNING FROM THE EDGE OF SAID SECTION AT THE FOLD LINE DIAGONALLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION TO A POINT BETWEEN SAID PERFORATED LINE AND THE CENTER OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION, THENCE PARALLEL TO SAID PERFORATED LINE TOWARD THE OPPOSITE FOLD LINE TO MEET ANOTHER DIAGONAL SCORE LINE RUNNING FROM THE CORRESPONDING EDGE OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE FOLD LINE TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID CENTRAL SECTION. 